The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased disability ratings for her neck and low back disabilities. The RO must obtain retrospective opinions discussing the severity of her disabilities prior to November 2020.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the RO did not consider a retrospective opinion on the severity of the Veteran's disabilities in the period prior to November 2020, which is necessary for determining earlier effective dates.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the low back, Degenerative arthritis of the neck with intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24048033
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A24048033.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the low back is rated at 40 percent, but no higher, effective September 11, 2006.,An increased rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity from February 20, 2019 forward has been granted.,An increased rating of 40 percent for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity from February 20, 2019 forward has also been granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative arthritis of the low back and left knee disorder, finding no link between these conditions and any in-service events.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative arthritis of the low back is granted an increased evaluation to 40 percent prior to July 2, 2015.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the low back was found to be productive of disability equivalent to limitation of motion to 30 degrees or less, warranting a 40 percent rating.
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